Many thanks to Esther Rancier
for sharing her information on the BRACE family. Esther is researching
in Richland and Mexico the Soul/Soule, Brace and Daniel
P. Smith families, and would appreciate hearing from anyone researching
these surnames. Esther Rancier at: erase@pacbell.net

Allen has become one of the largest surname groups in the United States.
The Allen name can be found throughout the New England states. Allens
from Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island and Massachusetts all went to Oswego
County, NY. Virtually every town had an Allen family. Most
of these people were not related. The Allen brothers who arrived
in the Colosse area of Mexico, NY and who later moved into Parish were
from a Rehoboth, MA family.

This line began in England, according to family researcher Debra Bailey
Trail. William1 Allin [sic] was born in 1602. He married Ales
______. She became the mother of one son before her death in 1632.
William1 died 10 May 1679 in England. His only child, William2 was
born 23 March 1610/11 at Yarmouth, Norfolk Co., England. William2 married (1) Ann Goodale
on 31 May 1639 at Salisbury, Essex Co., MA; (2) Alice Rooper Dickinson.
Ann was the daughter of Richard Goodale and Dorothy Whiterent. She
was also born in England ca. 1615. She died at Salisbury on 30 May
1678.

The seventh child of William2 and Ann was Benjamin3 Allen who removed to
Rehoboth, MA before he died. Four generations of this Allen family
lived in Rehoboth. They were Benjamin3 Jeremiah4 Benjamin5 and Barnabas6
Allen.

Barnabas6 left Rehoboth and went to Providence, RI where he married Amy
Perry Camp on 12 February 1761. She was the daughter of Nicholas
and Amey (Perry) Camp. The couple returned to Rehoboth where they
had six children. By about 1770 they removed to Adams, Berkshire
Co., MA where nine more children were born to them between 1770 and 1790.

By
1794 the entire family resided in Springfield, Otsego Co., NY. The
family members were enumerated in the 1800 Springfield, Otsego co., NY
census. Amy died there about 1800, followed by the death of Barnabus
in 1811. It is not believed any of the family remained long in Springfield. Three sons, Perry7, Paul7 and
Comfort7 traveled into Oswego County at Mexico in the Colosse area.
In its earliest form the place was then called Mexico Four Corners, a name
that endured as late as 1823. Colosse was the crossroads of the Salt
Point-Watertown and Rotterdam-Mexico roads. Lots 132, 133, 144, and
145 formed its corners. Perry Allen, the first settler owned lot 133 and
part of lot 145, the rest of which was owned by his brother, Comfort Allen.

Paul Allen lived in Parish by 1804 on lot 2. He served as a lieutenant
of the militia in the War of 1812. His brother Comfort was a private.
Both served in Parkhurst’s Battalion of the New York Militia. They
participated in the battles which led up to the Battle of Sackett’s Harbor.
This militia group was made up of primarily Oswego, Oneida and Jefferson
County men who engaged the British fleet and soldiers along the northeastern
shore of Lake Ontario. Most wandered away a few days before the formal
end of the war as declared by Congress thereby legally forfeiting their
rights to bounty lands and pensions.

The first tavern in Colosse was opened by David Stanhope Bates on the southwest
corner of the crossroad. In 1821 Paul Allen began another tavern
on the east side of the road. Paul continued living in Parish which was
close by. In 1822 Alvin Richardson bought 1/8th of an acre of lot 133 from
Perry and his wife, Betsey for $16 to open a blacksmith shop.

The Rev. Gamaliel Barnes founded the Colosse Baptist Church on 15 June
1806. Perry Allen became one of the first two deacons named.
The group erected the first church building in Oswego County on lot 145
in 1824 for $2,500. Brother Paul became one of the church trustees
who helped to raise funds for the edifice. Local people received
a letter from the trustees which argued that a church in their area would
raise property values and aid in the instruction of the young. The church
was renamed in 1842 the Baptist Church of Colosse.

All the brothers participated in activities to help with civic and church
affairs. In 1815 Paul served as a Justice of the Peace. While
his brother Comfort on 2 September 1815 had the Baptist church meeting
at his house. Polly (Mead) Allen, Paul’s wife, was received by letter
into membership of the congregation.

With sparse populations far removed from governmental agencies, the local
churches investigated all the back-slidings and wanderings of the flock.
Perry Allen brought charges against Isaac Higbee regarding some furniture
which was settled peacefully. These inquiries involved everyone sipping
hard liquor. This period came long before the temperance movement
began and public drunkards were a common sight. Drinking in church
was not rare.

When there was a despite with the Rev. Barnes over his salary of $5 for
6 months work, Perry Allen was designated to preach. But he never
had to orate as Rev. Barnes settled the dispute. In 1813 Paul Allen dug a well
which he only partially shored-up. The next day his cow backed into
the new well. Paul needed help to rescue the cow. Few people
were available, but the Rev. Barnes dismissed the church sermon. The man
of God led the congregation to aid the cow, so reported Elizabeth E. Simpson
in her book on Mexico.

Parish was formally founded as a town on 20 March 1828. At the first
town meeting Paul Allen was elected a town supervisor. He held this
post 1828-32. In 1828 Paul built and operated a gristmill with three
runs of stones on the North Branch of Salmon Creek. The gristmill
created an important facility for the Parish farmers and the local economy.

Perry Allen7, born in 1771 in Adams, MA, married Betsey Hutchins during
1792/93 while still in Springfield, NY. Perry never moved to Parish
after he settled at Colosse. Betsey died at age 74 in 1829.
Perry died at age 65 on 18 February 1836 at Colosse, a matter reported
in the local Oswego, NY newspaper, The Palladium. The couple were both
buried in the Colosse Cemetery, Mexico, NY. Determining all the children
of each brother needs further research. In the 1830 Mexico census
Perry and Betsey had 1 son, age 5-10, another son, age 20-30 and no daughters
listed. However, the FamilySearch Ancestral File does mention an
older daughter.

2-3-4. According to the Mexico 1820 census there were 3 more teenage females
in the household. Names unknown.

5. Perry N.8 Allen b. ca. 1809; m. Mary Ann ______ b. ca. 1810; d. after
1880 at Hastings, NY. Perry N. lived in Parish around 1850 where
he farmed. The couple had two sons who served in the Civil War.
They each enlisted in Battery G, 1st NY Light Artillery and died soon after
the war. Perry N. and Mary Ann both lived into their seventies, dying
after 1880. Mary Ann lived longer than her husband and made application
#270,611 to receive the Civil War Pension of her son Ira D. Allen.
Issue 7 children.

Paul7 Allen, born 1775 probably in Berkshire Co., MA, married Polly Mead
born ca. 1784 as she was age 76 in the 1860 census. He died 29 November
1849. He was buried at Colosse Cemetery, Mexico, NY in an unmarked
grave. Polly’s gravesite remains unknown. She died between
the U.S. 1860 and 1865 NY State Census enumerations. The 1830 Parish
census listed the family as having 1 son, ages 15-20; a daughter ages 10-15
and another daughter ages 20-30 living with the parents.
1-2. Neither daughter has been identified.
2. Paul W8. Allen b. ca. 1812; m. 1830 Sally M. _____; d. 1878. About
1830 Paul and Sally settled in Parish where he ran with a partner a retail
store for a time. In 1850 he identified himself as a merchant,
but by 1860 he was farming. In 1870 he had removed to the 6th ward
in Oswego, NY. In 1860 his widowed mother Polly lived with him.
Paul at age 67 died in 1878. His burial was at Colosse Cemetery,
Mexico. Issue 5 children.

Comfort7 Allen, born 1785 in Adams, MA, married Sarah Huntley. Comfort
owned some of lot 145 on the same crossroads with his brothers Perry and
Paul. Records for this Comfort contain error. The LDS IGI suggests
that this couple married ca. 1811 in Hastings. Other researchers
allege that this pair had 3 children before 1800 which seems not probable.
The 1830 Parish census showed Comfort with 1 son 5-10 years and 1 daughter
10-15 years. Sarah died 5 October 1822. Sarah Huntley Allen became the
first person to be buried in the Colosse Cemetery, Mexico. As of 1837 Comfort
remained in Parish as he witnessed a deed on 3 April 1837. One Allen
researcher insists that Comfort died 7 November 1851 in St. Clair, MI,
but much more research needs to be done to prove that Parish’s Comfort
Allen even lived in Michigan.

In the New York 1840 census for Pickney, Lewis Co., NY a Comfort Allen
age 50-60 and a wife were enumerated. Comfort could have remarried.
Pickney is not too far from Parish. This Pickney couple were not
found in the 1850 census. Again more investigation needs to be done.